1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage pouch that can be attached to a flexible, compressible article, such as a bag. When the article is not in use, the article can be compacted and stored in the pouch.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are attached storage pouches available on various articles such as bags, jackets, and beach towels. These pouches attached to the article allow the user to store the article in the attached pouch while the article is not in use. When the article is stored in the attached pouch, the article is maintained in a compressed state. This compressed state is advantageous since it makes transporting the article easier when the article is not in use. The compressed state, and the resulting smaller size, also allows the user a greater variety of storage possibilities while transporting the item. An uncompressed article may be too large to fit in a suitcase, purse, or other carry bag, while the article in its compressed state may fit easily into a suitcase, purse, or other carry bag, since transporting the article in a collapsed state allows the user to transport a much less voluminous and cumbersome article. These articles with attached storage pouches are currently available on the market, and are well adopted.
Most articles with attached storage pouches have pouches that are typically cylindrical or rectangular in shape when filled with the article. These pouches are typically constructed from a flexible material. These pouches generally have a single open side. These pouches are usually sewn onto the article on one or more sides of the pouch. Since the pouch is attached, it prevents the pouch from getting lost or otherwise separated from the article. Typically the article is attached to the inside of the pouch so that when the article is in use, the pouch may be in an inverted, inside out state. When a user wishes to bring the article into a compacted state, typically the user brings the pouch into an un-inverted state, if it was previously inverted, and then compacts the article while simultaneously stuffing it into the pouch. Typically, there is a closure for the pouch in the form of a zipper, a cinch cord, or a flap that can be flipped over to cover the pouch opening.
Currently, there are many bags on the market with attached storage pouches. These typically consist of bags made of lightweight synthetic textiles, such as nylon or polyester. One predominant purpose for these bags is for travel. This allows the traveler to compactly stow an extra compressed bag in their suitcase when traveling to their destination. Once the traveler reaches his destination, he can then convert the bag from its compacted state to its uncompacted, usable state.
These bags with attached storage pouches are also frequently used for shopping. While most vendors in the United States provide disposable shopping bags when goods are purchased, many consumers have concerns about the negative environmental impact of using these disposable bags. Many consumers and environmental experts agree that using a reusable bag can reduce the impact to the environment. Many environmentally conscious consumers are eager to make the switch to reusable bags. These consumers frequently purchase standard, non-compactable re-usable bags, often in the form of canvas, or polymer tote bags. Since these bags are noncompactable, they are typically stored at home or in a car trunk. Since they are stored at home or in a car trunk, a consumer must remember to bring the bag with them into a store when shopping. With these non-compactable re-usable bags, consumers frequently fail to remember to bring them when shopping, often leaving the bag at home. Even when the non-compactable re-usable bags are stored in a car trunk, and the car with the re-usable bags is driven to the store for shopping, consumers fail to remember to bring the bags with them into the store. Frequently, consumers only realize that they have forgotten their re-usable bags once they have reached the checkout line.
A more successful re-usable bag option is the compactable re-usable bag with attached pouch, which when compressed can be housed in a purse, pocket, messenger bag, or backpack. Since many shoppers bring a purse, messenger bag, backpack, or have an available pocket with them when shopping, the compacted bag already housed in one these places will be available when it's needed for shopping. With the compacted bag, the user does not need to make a specific effort to remember the bag, since it can consistently housed in a purse, pocket, messenger bag, or backpack that is already likely to be with the consumer during a shopping trip.
These reusable compact shopping bags with attached storage pouches are typically made out of lightweight synthetic textiles, such a nylon or polyester. Given the durable nature of the bag materials, these bags can be used repeatedly. These bags, which are marketed for shopping, are typically sized similar to traditional plastic or paper grocery bags when in their uncompressed state. When compacted, these bags are typically sized to fit into a purse, or pocket. Once items have been purchased from a store, the user can transform the bag to its uncompressed state, and place purchased items in the bag for transport to their home, or desired destination.
While consumers enjoy the benefits on being able to convert an article into a compacted state using the attached storage pouch, the process itself is often cumbersome. Typically, a user struggles to compress a portion of the article while simultaneously trying to stuff the compressed portion through the pouch opening. Usually, the opening of the attached pouch is relatively small in comparison to the size of the article, further making the process of passing the entire article through the opening difficult. Given this size of the opening in relation to the size of the article, in some cases, it even necessitates the user having to fold or roll the article prior to passing it through the opening.
Additionally, since many of the pouches utilize zippers as the closure mechanism, the article frequently gets caught in the zipper, during the process of zipping and closing the pouch opening. As a result, it takes a good deal of time and effort to compact the article, often resulting in users not bothering to convert the article back into its compacted state, although the user might find it preferable.
Other pouches are tethered at a distance from the bag, making compacting difficult and necessitating the bag to be both compressed and moved to the pouch. The tethering also introduces additional failure points, since the tether must be attached to the bag at first and second ends, either of which could fail. The tether also increases production costs since the tether itself needs to be acquired, and an extra attachment (e.g., between the tether and the bag) needs to be formed.
The storage pouches on the market today are of conventional, very utilitarian shape when filled. Little can be done with the compacted article in the pouch, nor does it provide any entertainment value. Given the difficulty in getting the article back into the pouch, along with the lack of entertainment value, many consumers don't bother to convert the article into its compressed state. In the case when the article is a compactable reusable shopping bags, these means that users fail to bring the bags with them when shopping, since the uncompressed re-usable shopping bags are too large to easily house in a bag or purse, pocket, messenger bag, or backpack.